• Media personality and political commentator Glenn Beck is pitching in to help keep a trove of artifacts related to Abraham Lincoln in the 16th president's hometown in Illinois. Beck's charity, Mercury One, has donated $50,000 toward a $9.2 million debt owed for a collection of 1,400 artifacts purchased a decade ago for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. Beck says: "Lincoln's mission didn't end in the 1860s. His words challenge us yet today." The museum's fundraising foundation took out a $23 million loan in 2007 to obtain the collection. The collection includes valuable personal effects of Lincoln's and a stovepipe hat whose link to Lincoln has been questioned. Museum director Alan Lowe thanked Beck for his gift and for urging listeners of his popular radio talk show to help.
• Actor Kirk Douglas got to celebrate his 102nd birthday with a special video message from his daughter-in-law. Catherine Zeta-Jones shared a sweet tribute in an Instagram video Sunday. The actress and wife of Michael Douglas wrote, "Happy 102nd birthday to the most beautiful man. We love you Kirk." The video featured photos of Douglas throughout his movie career and with family members. Douglas has been a Hollywood mainstay for decades and is perhaps best known for starring in the 1960 drama Spartacus.
• Beyonce brought her star power to a pre-wedding party for the daughter of India's richest mogul. The 37-year-old singer performed some of her hits such as "Crazy In Love" and "Perfect." Guests at Sunday's event included Hillary Clinton and a host of Bollywood stars in the historic Indian city of Udaipur. Beyonce posted a photo on Instagram of one of her outfits and a video giving a sneak peek of her performance. On Wednesday, oil-and-telecom tycoon Mukesh Ambani is scheduled to give away his daughter Isha to Anand Piramal, the son of billionaire Ajay Piramal. The week-long extravaganza is estimated to cost about $100 million, according to people familiar with the planning. To put the figure in perspective, Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding 37 years ago reportedly cost $110 million in today's dollars. Invitees to the pre-wedding festivities range from international celebrities to business tycoons. The guest list is so long that the Ambanis and Piramals have taken over at least five five-star hotels nearby, and a war room has been set up in Mumbai to manage logistics, planners said. Media outlets in India have reported that more than 100 chartered flights will fly guests to and from Udaipur's Maharana Pratap Airport.
A Section on 12/11/2018